Hippolyte De La Rue
Encyclopedia
Air Commodore
Hippolyte Ferdinand (Frank) De La Rue CBE
, DFC
(13 March 1891 – 18 May 1977) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF). Joining the Mercantile Marine
as a youth, he became a pilot
in the Royal Naval Air Service
during World War I
, and was given command of No. 223 Squadron RAF
in 1918. De La Rue was a founding member of the RAAF in 1921, specialising in seaplane
s. He became Commanding Officer
of No. 1 Flying Training School
in 1933 and, following promotion to Group Captain
, of RAAF Station Richmond
in 1938. At the outbreak of World War II
, De La Rue was slated to lead an air expeditionary force to Great Britain, but this plan was abandoned after Australia committed itself to the Empire Air Training Scheme
. Serving as Air Officer Commanding
Western Area during 1941–43, he finished the war as Inspector of Administration. De La Rue retired from the RAAF in 1946, and died in 1977 at the age of eighty-six.
, a suburb of Sydney
, De La Rue was the son of jeweller
Edmond Emile De La Rue and his wife Ellen. Following a "limited" education, he joined the Mercantile Marine
in 1908, becoming a Second Officer
by 1914. De La Rue transferred to the Royal Navy
's Transport Service shortly after the outbreak of World War I
, operating on troop ships between England and France. He saw service at Gallipoli as navigator
on Huntsgreen, from the Allied landings on 25 April 1915 until the withdrawal in December. In July 1916, he transferred once again, to the Royal Naval Air Service
(RNAS) as a temporary Flight Sub-Lieutenant, and was awarded his wings
in November.
Training as a seaplane
pilot in Hampshire
, De La Rue was posted to Wales in February 1917. Later that year, he claimed an unconfirmed sinking of a German submarine
while on coastal patrol. Promoted Flight Lieutenant
in January 1918, De La Rue became an honorary Captain in the Royal Air Force
(RAF) that April, following the merger of the RNAS and the Royal Flying Corps
. He was posted to No. 223 Squadron
in Otranto
, Italy, later taking command of the unit. While piloting a Short
seaplane escorting Allied bombers on a raid against the port city of Durrës
, Albania, he rescued the crew of another seaplane that had been forced down in the Austrian-held harbour. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
for his actions, as well as the Italian Silver Medal of Military Valor
.
, Egypt, in January 1919 to command No. 270 (Seaplane) Squadron
. Offered a permanent commission in the RAF that August, he nevertheless returned to Australia and sought employment through Lieutenant Colonel Stanley Goble
, an ex-RNAS pilot then seconded to the Navy Office. Goble, desiring a specialist seaplane pilot for naval cooperation work, arranged a Captain's commission in the recently established Australian Air Corps, successor to the wartime Australian Flying Corps. On 17 June, in a DH.9
, De La Rue accompanied Captain Adrian Cole
on a flight to an altitude of 27000 feet (8,229.6 m), setting an Australian record that stood for more than ten years. Later that month, flying an Avro 504
L floatplane
, he became the first person to land an aircraft on the Yarra River
in Victoria. In July he was put in charge of trials of the Avro 504L aboard the Royal Australian Navy
's flagship
, HMAS Australia
. De La Rue joined the newly formed Royal Australian Air Force
as a Flight Lieutenant
in March 1921, becoming one of its original twenty-one officers. Going by the first name of Frank, he was also popularly known throughout the service as "Kanga". In August 1921, he underwent the RAAF's "No. 1 Course" at the Australian Army
's Central Training Depot in Holsworthy, New South Wales
; his fellow inductees included Flying Officer
s George Jones
, Arthur William Murphy
, and Raymond Brownell
.
During the 1920s, De La Rue held a series of postings at RAAF Point Cook, Victoria, and at Air Force Headquarters, Melbourne. In May 1922, then in charge of the Seaplane Flight, he crashed an Avro 504L into Port Phillip
; his rescuers claimed that his main concern following the mishap was the state of the corduroy
trousers he was wearing. He wrote off the RAAF's sole Bristol Scout
in another accident less than a year later. De La Rue married Clara Stone in a Presbyterian ceremony at Scots Church, Melbourne, on 1 October 1923; the couple would have a daughter. He had another escape in August 1925 when he crashed a Sopwith Pup
into a hangar; a witness said that De La Rue, who was "renowned for his fiery Gallic
temper", strode from the wreckage and began to violently abuse the aircraft. By 1926, he was the examining officer on the flight instructor
s course at No. 1 Flying Training School
(1FTS), Point Cook. On exchange in Britain during 1929–30, De La Rue underwent familiarisation with aircraft carrier
s, and served on the staff of No. 201 (Flying Boat) Squadron
, based on the south coast of England. Upon his return to Australia in 1931, he was given command of the RAAF's Seaplane Squadron at Point Cook. Promoted Wing Commander
in December 1932, De La Rue led 1FTS from early 1933. He was promoted Group Captain
in January 1937, and took over as Commanding Officer
(CO) of Headquarters RAAF Station Richmond
, New South Wales, from Group Captain Adrian Cole
in January the following year.
to get the base to a fit state of readiness and, immediately after hostilities were declared on 3 September, to liaise with the Central War Room in Melbourne passing instructions to squadrons. The following day, Richmond's first wartime sortie
took place, a flight of three Avro Anson
s and three Supermarine Seagull
s patrolling the ocean off Sydney. Within a month the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Vice Marshal Goble, proposed despatching a six-squadron air expeditionary force to Great Britain, with De La Rue, then the RAAF's seventh most senior officer, in charge. Air Marshal
Richard Williams
, Goble's long-time rival for leadership of the Air Force in the 1920s and 30s, later contended that the CAS was unduly favouring his fellow RNAS veteran and seaplane specialist to lead what would have been the RAAF's largest formation to date, particularly considering that other contenders for the role such as Group Captains Frank McNamara
, Adrian Cole
, and Henry Wrigley
had greater landplane experience than De La Rue. The concept was in any case abandoned soon after, as Australia concentrated on participation in the Empire Air Training Scheme
. Some time in the latter half of 1940, De La Rue was seeing dinner guests off the base at RAAF Richmond, and attempted to re-enter the perimeter via the main gate. Wearing civilian clothes and without his security pass, he was challenged and then locked up by the guards, who did not recognise him or believe his assurances that he was their commander. De La Rue was finally released by the Orderly Officer but was still fuming the next morning; only the advice of the base Warrant Officer (Disciplinary), who had congratulated the guards on their diligence, prevented the CO from taking action against all concerned.
After completing his tenure at Richmond in October 1940, De La Rue briefly took the role of Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) at Central Area Command. The following month, his name was put forward to establish an RAAF depot in London to look after the interests of the many thousands of Australian airmen disembarking there, but financial considerations led to the plan being scuppered for the time being. In the event, RAAF Overseas Headquarters would be formed on 1 December 1941, with Air Marshal Williams appointed Air Officer Commanding
(AOC). Meanwhile, De La Rue also missed out on a potential posting to the Middle East that was suggested by the British but turned down by the Australian government. Promoted acting Air Commodore
, he became the inaugural AOC Western Area, headquartered in Perth, Western Australia
, on 9 January 1941. Shortly after arriving, he lobbied RAAF Headquarters for a force of long-range Catalina
flying boat
s to augment the Hudsons
of his general reconnaissance
unit in the west, No. 14 Squadron
, but none were made available. Handing over Western Area Command to Air Commodore Raymond Brownell
in January 1943, De La Rue was made Inspector of Administration at RAAF Headquarters, in which post he saw out the rest of the war. On 8 June 1944, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
. On 31 March 1971, he was among a select group of surviving foundation members who attended a celebratory dinner at the Hotel Canberra
to mark the RAAF's Golden Jubilee
; his fellow guests included Air Marshal Sir Richard Williams, Air Vice Marshals Henry Wrigley and Bill Anderson
, and Wing Commander Sir Lawrence Wackett
. Frank De La Rue died at his home in Kew
, a suburb of Melbourne, on 18 May 1977. He was survived by his daughter, and cremated.
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Hippolyte Ferdinand (Frank) De La Rue CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(13 March 1891 – 18 May 1977) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
(RAAF). Joining the Mercantile Marine
Merchant Navy
The Merchant Navy is the maritime register of the United Kingdom, and describes the seagoing commercial interests of UK-registered ships and their crews. Merchant Navy vessels fly the Red Ensign and are regulated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency...
as a youth, he became a pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
in the Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and was given command of No. 223 Squadron RAF
No. 223 Squadron RAF
No. 223 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. Originally formed as part of the Royal Naval Air Service , the Squadron flew in both World Wars.-History:...
in 1918. De La Rue was a founding member of the RAAF in 1921, specialising in seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
s. He became Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of No. 1 Flying Training School
No. 1 Flying Training School RAAF
No. 1 Flying Training School was a flying training school of the Royal Australian Air Force . It was one of the Air Force's original units, dating back to the service's formation in 1921, when it was based at RAAF Point Cook, Victoria. The school underwent a number of reorganisations during its...
in 1933 and, following promotion to Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
, of RAAF Station Richmond
RAAF Base Richmond
RAAF Base Richmond is one of Australia's oldest and largest air force bases. It is located within the City of Hawkesbury in the north-western fringe of Sydney, New South Wales, between the towns of Windsor and Richmond. The base is home to the Royal Australian Air Force's transport headquarters,...
in 1938. At the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, De La Rue was slated to lead an air expeditionary force to Great Britain, but this plan was abandoned after Australia committed itself to the Empire Air Training Scheme
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , known in some countries as the Empire Air Training Scheme , was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, during the Second World War...
. Serving as Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding is a title given in the air forces of Commonwealth nations to an air officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, an air vice marshal might be the AOC 38 Group...
Western Area during 1941–43, he finished the war as Inspector of Administration. De La Rue retired from the RAAF in 1946, and died in 1977 at the age of eighty-six.
Early life and World War I
Born in AuburnAuburn, New South Wales
Auburn is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales Australia. Auburn is located 19 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Auburn Council.-History:...
, a suburb of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, De La Rue was the son of jeweller
Jewellery
Jewellery or jewelry is a form of personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.With some exceptions, such as medical alert bracelets or military dog tags, jewellery normally differs from other items of personal adornment in that it has no other purpose than to...
Edmond Emile De La Rue and his wife Ellen. Following a "limited" education, he joined the Mercantile Marine
Merchant Navy
The Merchant Navy is the maritime register of the United Kingdom, and describes the seagoing commercial interests of UK-registered ships and their crews. Merchant Navy vessels fly the Red Ensign and are regulated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency...
in 1908, becoming a Second Officer
Second Officer
Second Officer may refer to:*Second Officer , a civilian aviation rank*Second Officer , a merchant marine rank*A naval rank in the Women's Royal Naval Service*A billet in the Star Trek universe...
by 1914. De La Rue transferred to the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's Transport Service shortly after the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, operating on troop ships between England and France. He saw service at Gallipoli as navigator
Navigator
A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation. The navigator's primary responsibility is to be aware of ship or aircraft position at all times. Responsibilities include planning the journey, advising the Captain or aircraft Commander of estimated timing to...
on Huntsgreen, from the Allied landings on 25 April 1915 until the withdrawal in December. In July 1916, he transferred once again, to the Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
(RNAS) as a temporary Flight Sub-Lieutenant, and was awarded his wings
Aviator Badge
An Aviator Badge is an insignia used in most of the world’s militaries to designate those who have received training and qualification in military aviation...
in November.
Training as a seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
pilot in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, De La Rue was posted to Wales in February 1917. Later that year, he claimed an unconfirmed sinking of a German submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
while on coastal patrol. Promoted Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
in January 1918, De La Rue became an honorary Captain in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF) that April, following the merger of the RNAS and the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
. He was posted to No. 223 Squadron
No. 223 Squadron RAF
No. 223 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. Originally formed as part of the Royal Naval Air Service , the Squadron flew in both World Wars.-History:...
in Otranto
Otranto
Otranto is a town and comune in the province of Lecce , in a fertile region once famous for its breed of horses.It is located on the east coast of the Salento peninsula. The Strait of Otranto, to which the city gives its name, connects the Adriatic Sea with the Ionian Sea and Italy with Albania...
, Italy, later taking command of the unit. While piloting a Short
Short Brothers
Short Brothers plc is a British aerospace company, usually referred to simply as Shorts, that is now based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Founded in 1908, Shorts was the first company in the world to make production aircraft and was a manufacturer of flying boats during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s...
seaplane escorting Allied bombers on a raid against the port city of Durrës
Durrës
Durrës is the second largest city of Albania located on the central Albanian coast, about west of the capital Tirana. It is one of the most ancient and economically important cities of Albania. Durres is situated at one of the narrower points of the Adriatic Sea, opposite the Italian ports of Bari...
, Albania, he rescued the crew of another seaplane that had been forced down in the Austrian-held harbour. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
for his actions, as well as the Italian Silver Medal of Military Valor
Silver Medal of Military Valor
The Silver Medal of Military Valor is an Italian medal for gallantry.Italian medals for valor were first instituted by Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia on May 21, 1793, with a gold medal, and, below it, a silver medal...
.
Between the wars
De La Rue was posted to AlexandriaAlexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, Egypt, in January 1919 to command No. 270 (Seaplane) Squadron
No. 270 Squadron RAF
No. 270 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron that operated both in the First and Second world wars mainly as an anti-shipping and anti-submarine squadron.-History:...
. Offered a permanent commission in the RAF that August, he nevertheless returned to Australia and sought employment through Lieutenant Colonel Stanley Goble
Stanley Goble
Air Vice Marshal Stanley James Goble CBE, DSO, DSC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . He served three terms as Chief of the Air Staff, alternating with Wing Commander Richard Williams...
, an ex-RNAS pilot then seconded to the Navy Office. Goble, desiring a specialist seaplane pilot for naval cooperation work, arranged a Captain's commission in the recently established Australian Air Corps, successor to the wartime Australian Flying Corps. On 17 June, in a DH.9
Airco DH.9
The Airco DH.9 - also known after 1920 as the de Havilland DH.9 - was a British bomber used in the First World War...
, De La Rue accompanied Captain Adrian Cole
Adrian Cole (RAAF officer)
Air Vice Marshal Adrian Lindley Trevor Cole, CBE, DSO, MC, DFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . Joining the army at the outbreak of World War I, he transferred to the Australian Flying Corps in 1916 and flew with No. 1 Squadron in the Middle East and No. 2...
on a flight to an altitude of 27000 feet (8,229.6 m), setting an Australian record that stood for more than ten years. Later that month, flying an Avro 504
Avro 504
The Avro 504 was a World War I biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the War totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind that served in World War I, in any military capacity, during...
L floatplane
Floatplane
A floatplane is a type of seaplane, with slender pontoons mounted under the fuselage; only the floats of a floatplane normally come into contact with water, with the fuselage remaining above water...
, he became the first person to land an aircraft on the Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
in Victoria. In July he was put in charge of trials of the Avro 504L aboard the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
's flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
, HMAS Australia
HMAS Australia (1911)
HMAS Australia was one of three s built for the defence of the British Empire. Ordered by the Australian government in 1909, she was launched in 1911, and commissioned as flagship of the fledgling Royal Australian Navy in 1913...
. De La Rue joined the newly formed Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
as a Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
in March 1921, becoming one of its original twenty-one officers. Going by the first name of Frank, he was also popularly known throughout the service as "Kanga". In August 1921, he underwent the RAAF's "No. 1 Course" at the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
's Central Training Depot in Holsworthy, New South Wales
Holsworthy, New South Wales
Holsworthy is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Holsworthy is located 31 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Liverpool and partly in the Sutherland Shire.Holsworthy is most notable for...
; his fellow inductees included Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
s George Jones
George Jones (RAAF officer)
Air Marshal Sir George Jones KBE, CB, DFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . He rose from private soldier in World War I to Air Marshal in 1948, and served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1942 to 1952, the longest continuous tenure of any RAAF chief...
, Arthur William Murphy
Arthur William Murphy
Air Commodore Arthur William Murphy DFC, AFC, FRAeS was a senior engineer and aviator in the Royal Australian Air Force . He accompanied Captain Henry Wrigley on the first trans-Australia flight from Melbourne to Darwin in 1919, a feat that earned both men the Air Force Cross...
, and Raymond Brownell
Raymond Brownell
Air Commodore Raymond James Brownell CBE, MC, MM was a senior officer in the Royal Australian Air Force and a First World War flying ace. Born in Hobart, Tasmania, Brownell was working as a clerk with a firm of accountants when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on the outbreak of the...
.
During the 1920s, De La Rue held a series of postings at RAAF Point Cook, Victoria, and at Air Force Headquarters, Melbourne. In May 1922, then in charge of the Seaplane Flight, he crashed an Avro 504L into Port Phillip
Port Phillip
Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip (also commonly referred to as Port Phillip Bay or (locally) just The Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia; it is the location of Melbourne. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for...
; his rescuers claimed that his main concern following the mishap was the state of the corduroy
Corduroy
Corduroy is a textile composed of twisted fibers that, when woven, lie parallel to one another to form the cloth's distinct pattern, a "cord." Modern corduroy is most commonly composed of tufted cords, sometimes exhibiting a channel between the tufts...
trousers he was wearing. He wrote off the RAAF's sole Bristol Scout
Bristol Scout
The Bristol Scout was a simple, single seat, rotary-engined biplane originally intended as a civilian racing aircraft. Like other similar fast, light aircraft of the period - it was acquired by the RNAS and the RFC as a "scout", or fast reconnaissance type...
in another accident less than a year later. De La Rue married Clara Stone in a Presbyterian ceremony at Scots Church, Melbourne, on 1 October 1923; the couple would have a daughter. He had another escape in August 1925 when he crashed a Sopwith Pup
Sopwith Pup
The Sopwith Pup was a British single seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying characteristics and good maneuverability, the aircraft proved very...
into a hangar; a witness said that De La Rue, who was "renowned for his fiery Gallic
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
temper", strode from the wreckage and began to violently abuse the aircraft. By 1926, he was the examining officer on the flight instructor
Flight instructor
A flight instructor is a person who teaches others to fly aircraft. Specific privileges granted to holders of a flight instructor qualification vary from country to country, but very generally, a flight instructor serves to enhance or evaluate the knowledge and skill level of an aviator in pursuit...
s course at No. 1 Flying Training School
No. 1 Flying Training School RAAF
No. 1 Flying Training School was a flying training school of the Royal Australian Air Force . It was one of the Air Force's original units, dating back to the service's formation in 1921, when it was based at RAAF Point Cook, Victoria. The school underwent a number of reorganisations during its...
(1FTS), Point Cook. On exchange in Britain during 1929–30, De La Rue underwent familiarisation with aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s, and served on the staff of No. 201 (Flying Boat) Squadron
No. 201 Squadron RAF
No. 201 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, until March 2010, operated the Nimrod MR2, based at RAF Kinloss, Moray. It is the only squadron affiliated with Guernsey, in the Channel Islands. This affiliation started in 1935 and is commemorated in the museum on Castle Cornet. Its history goes even...
, based on the south coast of England. Upon his return to Australia in 1931, he was given command of the RAAF's Seaplane Squadron at Point Cook. Promoted Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
in December 1932, De La Rue led 1FTS from early 1933. He was promoted Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
in January 1937, and took over as Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
(CO) of Headquarters RAAF Station Richmond
RAAF Base Richmond
RAAF Base Richmond is one of Australia's oldest and largest air force bases. It is located within the City of Hawkesbury in the north-western fringe of Sydney, New South Wales, between the towns of Windsor and Richmond. The base is home to the Royal Australian Air Force's transport headquarters,...
, New South Wales, from Group Captain Adrian Cole
Adrian Cole (RAAF officer)
Air Vice Marshal Adrian Lindley Trevor Cole, CBE, DSO, MC, DFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . Joining the army at the outbreak of World War I, he transferred to the Australian Flying Corps in 1916 and flew with No. 1 Squadron in the Middle East and No. 2...
in January the following year.
World War II
De La Rue and his staff at Headquarters Richmond worked "flat out" in the days prior the outbreak of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
to get the base to a fit state of readiness and, immediately after hostilities were declared on 3 September, to liaise with the Central War Room in Melbourne passing instructions to squadrons. The following day, Richmond's first wartime sortie
Sortie
Sortie is a term for deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops from a strongpoint. The sortie, whether by one or more aircraft or vessels, usually has a specific mission....
took place, a flight of three Avro Anson
Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...
s and three Supermarine Seagull
Supermarine Seagull (1921)
|-Specifications :-See also:-Bibliography:* Andrews, C.F. and Morgan, E.B. Supermarine Aircraft Since 1914. London: Putnam Books Ltd., 2nd revised edition 2003. ISBN 0-851-77800-3....
s patrolling the ocean off Sydney. Within a month the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Vice Marshal Goble, proposed despatching a six-squadron air expeditionary force to Great Britain, with De La Rue, then the RAAF's seventh most senior officer, in charge. Air Marshal
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Richard Williams
Richard Williams
Richard Williams is a Canadian animator. He is best known for serving as animation director on Disney/Amblin's Who Framed Roger Rabbit and for his unfinished feature film The Thief and the Cobbler...
, Goble's long-time rival for leadership of the Air Force in the 1920s and 30s, later contended that the CAS was unduly favouring his fellow RNAS veteran and seaplane specialist to lead what would have been the RAAF's largest formation to date, particularly considering that other contenders for the role such as Group Captains Frank McNamara
Frank Hubert McNamara
Air Vice Marshal Francis Hubert McNamara VC, CB, CBE was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for valour in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to a member of the British and Commonwealth forces...
, Adrian Cole
Adrian Cole (RAAF officer)
Air Vice Marshal Adrian Lindley Trevor Cole, CBE, DSO, MC, DFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . Joining the army at the outbreak of World War I, he transferred to the Australian Flying Corps in 1916 and flew with No. 1 Squadron in the Middle East and No. 2...
, and Henry Wrigley
Henry Wrigley
Air Vice Marshal Henry Neilson Wrigley CBE, DFC, AFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . A pioneer aviator and theorist, he piloted the first trans-Australia flight from Melbourne to Darwin in 1919, and subsequently laid the groundwork for the RAAF's air power doctrine...
had greater landplane experience than De La Rue. The concept was in any case abandoned soon after, as Australia concentrated on participation in the Empire Air Training Scheme
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , known in some countries as the Empire Air Training Scheme , was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, during the Second World War...
. Some time in the latter half of 1940, De La Rue was seeing dinner guests off the base at RAAF Richmond, and attempted to re-enter the perimeter via the main gate. Wearing civilian clothes and without his security pass, he was challenged and then locked up by the guards, who did not recognise him or believe his assurances that he was their commander. De La Rue was finally released by the Orderly Officer but was still fuming the next morning; only the advice of the base Warrant Officer (Disciplinary), who had congratulated the guards on their diligence, prevented the CO from taking action against all concerned.
After completing his tenure at Richmond in October 1940, De La Rue briefly took the role of Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) at Central Area Command. The following month, his name was put forward to establish an RAAF depot in London to look after the interests of the many thousands of Australian airmen disembarking there, but financial considerations led to the plan being scuppered for the time being. In the event, RAAF Overseas Headquarters would be formed on 1 December 1941, with Air Marshal Williams appointed Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding is a title given in the air forces of Commonwealth nations to an air officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, an air vice marshal might be the AOC 38 Group...
(AOC). Meanwhile, De La Rue also missed out on a potential posting to the Middle East that was suggested by the British but turned down by the Australian government. Promoted acting Air Commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
, he became the inaugural AOC Western Area, headquartered in Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, on 9 January 1941. Shortly after arriving, he lobbied RAAF Headquarters for a force of long-range Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
s to augment the Hudsons
Lockheed Hudson
The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter...
of his general reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
unit in the west, No. 14 Squadron
No. 14 Squadron RAAF
No. 14 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force maritime patrol squadron of World War II. The Squadron was based in Western Australia throughout the war and was disbanded in 1945.-Squadron history:...
, but none were made available. Handing over Western Area Command to Air Commodore Raymond Brownell
Raymond Brownell
Air Commodore Raymond James Brownell CBE, MC, MM was a senior officer in the Royal Australian Air Force and a First World War flying ace. Born in Hobart, Tasmania, Brownell was working as a clerk with a firm of accountants when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on the outbreak of the...
in January 1943, De La Rue was made Inspector of Administration at RAAF Headquarters, in which post he saw out the rest of the war. On 8 June 1944, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Later life
De La Rue was summarily retired from the RAAF in 1946, along with a number of other senior commanders and veterans of World War I, partly to make way for the advancement of younger and equally capable officers, and also due to his suspect health. He was officially discharged on 1 April. An honorary Air Commodore from 1956, his chief hobby in retirement was painting in water coloursWatercolor painting
Watercolor or watercolour , also aquarelle from French, is a painting method. A watercolor is the medium or the resulting artwork in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble vehicle...
. On 31 March 1971, he was among a select group of surviving foundation members who attended a celebratory dinner at the Hotel Canberra
Hotel Canberra
The Hotel Canberra, also known as Hyatt Hotel Canberra is in Yarralumla, near Lake Burley Griffin and Parliament House, in Canberra. It was built to house politicians when the Federal Parliament moved to Canberra. It was constructed by the contractor John Howie between 1922-1925. Originally...
to mark the RAAF's Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
; his fellow guests included Air Marshal Sir Richard Williams, Air Vice Marshals Henry Wrigley and Bill Anderson
William Anderson (RAAF officer)
Air Vice-Marshal William Hopton Anderson CBE, DFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . He flew with the Australian Flying Corps in World War I, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Belgian Croix de guerre, and leading Nos. 3 and 7 Squadrons...
, and Wing Commander Sir Lawrence Wackett
Lawrence Wackett
Sir Lawrence James Wackett KBE, DFC, AFC is widely regarded as "father of the Australian aircraft industry". He has been described as "one of the towering figures in the history of Australian aviation covering, as he did, virtually all aspects of activities: pilot, designer of airframes and...
. Frank De La Rue died at his home in Kew
Kew, Victoria
Kew is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara. At the 2006 Census, Kew had a population of 22,516....
, a suburb of Melbourne, on 18 May 1977. He was survived by his daughter, and cremated.